Ala Moana Bowls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s coming down the line for Ala Moana Bowls. It’s a bit of a mixed bag to be honest—there’s some serious energy on the charts, but the wind is going to be our main character for most of this run, and not always in a good way.

Right off the bat, Monday the 24th kicks things off with some waist-to-chest high waves pushing in around 5 ft from the east with a short, snappy 7-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 472. There’s a moderate breeze blowing from the ENE, keeping it cross-off and clean, but the forecast is calling it marginal. Water temps are sitting at a toasty 81°, which is bang on average for this time of year.

The pattern for the rest of this week and into next week is consistent ENE trade winds, breezy to strong, with most days getting a mix of east short-period swell. Tuesday the 25th has a bit more size, around 6 ft, but that strong breeze at 25 mph is just too much grunt in the wind to make it enjoyable. Conditions are clean but poor under that wind strength. Wednesday the 26th is a weird one with a tiny 2 ft south swell showing up in the afternoon, carrying a very long 18-second period—that’s proper groundswell energy—but it’s just not enough height to do much. The combined energy is moderate at 599 but the size is a letdown.

Through the end of August and into early September, we’re stuck in a holding pattern. The trades don’t really let up, blowing in the 19 to 25 mph range, and the east swell stays mostly between 5 ft and 6 ft with that short 6 to 8-second period. The combined energy values bounce around in the moderate range (472 to 876) but the wind keeps the overall scores in the dumps. It’s a consistent run of clean but wind-affected surf—not what you’d call a standout.

The best of the bunch looks like it’ll be Monday, September 7th. Monday morning brings a gentle breeze from the ENE at just 9 mph, with some cloudy skies but very clean conditions. You’ll get a nice 5 ft of east swell with a solid 9-second period, pushing combined energy at 685. The afternoon gets even lighter—a light breeze at 6 mph—keeping things glassy and clean. Swell holds around 5 ft. This is the one window where the wind lays down enough for Bowls to show its magic. The break is fairly consistent, an exposed reef, so with that light wind this is the session to circle.

Before that, there’s a long stretch of nothing that’s really worth chasing. From Monday the 24th right through to Sunday the 6th of September, it’s day after day of trades and marginal-to-poor surf. There are a couple of moments where a long-period south swell shows up in the forecasts—like Wednesday the 27th of August and Sunday the 31st of August—but the heights stay well under 3 ft, or the wind is just too strong. The south swell days on the 1st and 2nd of September are similarly undersized.

For the experts out there, the east swell builds again on Monday the 31st of August with afternoon waves hitting 8 ft and the combined energy cracking into the strong zone at 1003. But the wind is still a moderate-to-fresh breeze, so it will be challenging despite being clean. Not one for the beginner crowd at that size—over 8 ft is expert territory, and 8 ft is getting up there.

The early part of September keeps the trades alive, and by the 4th the wind kicks into near gale force at 31 mph with some risk of thunderstorms. That’s kite-surfing territory for sure, not paddle surfing. Then on the 5th we get a proper long-period east groundswell rolling in at 12 seconds and 5 ft, with combined energy in the very strong range at 1066. But the wind is howling from the east at 25 mph, swinging to a cross-shore, which makes for lumpy, messy conditions. The morning of the 6th cleans up a bit—still moderate breeze but the same 5 ft east swell with a 12-second period—and the forecast bumps up to a "marginal" rating. It’s a glimmer, but not the winner.

Bottom line: if you can wait, Monday the 7th of September is your day. Glassy conditions, clean 5 ft east swell, and a light breeze. That’s the one that’s got my attention.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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